Related Posts
More Posts
Send it 🚀
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Send it 🚀
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Download the Fishbowl app to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
Copy and paste embed code on your site

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

You should network with exec search firms so that when they’re enlisted by a company to fill a role that you’re in the Rolodex, and they call you when you fit the profile of what they’re already paid to be looking for.
If you think you’re going to get an exec recruiter to land you a gig that isn’t already contemplated by a particular company and paid for by that company, then yea, there’s zero chance that lands anything for you. recruiters won’t even waste their time on you tbh, so it’s a question that would answer itself pretty quickly.
Recruiters aren’t incentivized by repping individual candidates - they seek out paid recruitments by corps first, and then back into those with multiple candidates for the company to consider. It doesn’t work the other way around.
This is true but also most executive positions (VP and up) are only filled via recruiters or personal networks they don’t post them on job boards.
As far as your blocking fear, IF a recruiter presents your resume before you send directly the company must go through the firm per their normal contract. So it isn’t the recruiter blocking per see
If a recruiter contacts you for a “retained search,” it’s legitimately sponsored and paid for by the hiring firm. The downside is that years ago you could contact a headhunter and they might have a handful of openings and if you aligned they would quickly present your resume and pitch your case to the hiring firm. That doesn’t happen anymore unless maybe you are early in your career and there is huge demand for your skillset. Senior executive opportunities come to you, not the other way around. Of course, there are things you can do to be more visible.
Useful to have a network with the search firms but they make money from big corporates like we do so it’s not like they’ll be trying to place you individually. But they’re a useful source of intel and sometimes they do end up being very helpful. You need to be useful to them too of course.